6 Trends in Health and Wellness Technology to Supercharge Your Workplace Wellness Strategy

Health and wellness technology has taken the corporate world by storm. Seemingly every day, a new device, software, or technological system enters the conversation, expanding HR leaders’ toolboxes as they work to improve workplace wellness. 

So, what health and wellness technologies are making the most waves today? Knowing the answer is important for HR pros to stay ahead of the curve—but the work doesn’t stop there. Beyond knowing what technology is at your disposal, you also need to understand how to implement it properly in your organization. 

In this blog, we’ll answer both of those questions, starting with the top 6 trends in health and wellness tech that are poised to transform your workplace wellness strategy. 

The wellness tech industry is set to reach nearly $7 trillion in 2025, according to the Global Wellness Institute. That’s a huge figure which speaks to the overwhelming prevalence of this type of tech in our daily lives. 

Corporate wellness drives a large portion of this growth. When integrated effectively into your workplace wellness program, health-centered technology can increase team motivation, accountability, health outcomes, and so much more. A recent survey of HR leaders reveals how significant this type of technology can be to employee wellbeing. According to their responses:

  • 59% see AI predicting long-term health outcomes.
  • 64% agree devices that track wellness indicators will have a positive impact on well-being.
  • 66% say Internet of Things (IoT) technologies will improve the physical wellbeing of employees.
  • 76% say artificial intelligence (AI) will play a key role by alerting employees to potential health dangers.

Here’s what we’re seeing emerging as the biggest trends in corporate health and wellness technology.

1. Wearables

Take a look at the people around you—how many of them are wearing a fitness tracker or smart watch? Probably a lot, and definitely more than you would have seen only five years ago. Wearable technology has revolutionized the way people monitor their health and wellness, tracking everything from steps, heart rate, blood oxygen level, and even sleep patterns. 

For employers, this trend offers several potential benefits. As they become more advanced, wearable smart devices can capture important data to inform predictive health analytics, helping identify health challenges among employees and reducing healthcare costs in the long run. Also, wearable health and wellness technology are valuable instruments when organizing wellness challenges for employees, such as step competitions. 

2. Apps for mental health, mindfulness, and meditation

Mindfulness in the workplace is a trend that has exploded over recent years. Now, mobile apps are making the benefits of this ancient practice more accessible to all through training, guided meditations, and mental health support. Mindfulness is an effective way for employees to reduce stress, improve focus, boost creativity and more, making it a valuable tool to embed in any workplace wellness program. 

However, keep in mind that mental health and mindfulness apps are not adequate substitutes for real, person-to-person counseling. Rather, they serve as complementary digital tools that employees can use to practice stress relieving techniques on their own time.

3. Telehealth

When we refer to the “remote world,” it’s not only a gesture to the exponential rise of working from home. It also describes a similarly popular movement: Remote healthcare. A preexisting trend supercharged by the effects of the pandemic, telehealth and medicine offer a more convenient and often more affordable option than traditional in-person appointments. In 2022, as many as 31% of employers offered telehealth to their employees, and that number only continues to grow. 

4. AI 

No list of technological trends is complete without a mention of AI. Of course, artificial intelligence is transforming the world around us, and health and wellness technology is no exception. When integrated into a corporate wellness strategy, AI can use employee data to suggest everything from personalized recipes, tailored fitness programs, and more, improving overall health outcomes across the board. AI speaks to the larger trend of hyperpersonalization in corporate wellness, where HR leaders are able to use technology to create more targeted strategies for their organizations. 

5. Digital detoxing

Our fifth rising trend in health and wellness technology isn’t a new device. It’s not new software. In fact, you could call it the complete opposite. To counteract the potential stress, overwhelm, and negative health consequences of technology use, organizations are increasingly turning to digital detoxes to boost employee wellness. As many as 75% of employees say that limiting screen time improves their mental health, which can lead to everything from burnout, to decreased productivity, and presenteeism. 

The organizations who find the most success embedding digital detoxing into their wellness programs don’t simply encourage it, they incentivize it: sometimes the most productive thing you can do is to do nothing at all. 

6. Comprehensive workplace wellness platforms

The sheer number of tools and technology available to support HR professionals’ goal of improving employee wellness can be overwhelming. The modern employees’ needs are diverse, holistic, and ever changing, so stringing together a patchwork strategy of various pieces of technology often becomes cumbersome and inconvenient for employees to use. 

Instead, the most successful HR leaders are turning to comprehensive wellness partners to create a holistic platform for employee wellbeing, often in the shape of a modern Employee Assistance Program (EAP) like Carebridge. These EAPs offer services that support employees around the clock in every dimension of their health and wellness, including anxiety, addiction, work-life balance, legal issues, and much more.

Tips for health and wellness technology into your workplace wellness program

HR leaders have several tools available to boost the effectiveness of their workplace wellness programs. But a hammer alone doesn’t build a house. To get the most out of health and wellness tech in your organization, follow these tips. 

Be mindful (and transparent) around data privacy

For many of the most exciting emerging technologies around health and wellness, data is the fuel that powers their engines. Advancements like artificial intelligence are not without controversy for this same reason. Before introducing technology like AI into your workplace wellness strategy, do your due diligence into how private data is managed by its systems. While most wellness services employees receive from an EAP are confidential, some technology may not offer the same promises. 

Always communicate transparently with employees about if and how any of their personal data will be used, and always give them the option to opt out if they are uncomfortable with it for any reason.

Put strategy first, and technology second

New technology is fun, exciting, and “shiny.” But novelty isn’t necessarily a good enough reason to adopt it for your organization. Remember, technology is merely a tool, and any tool is wasted if it’s not assigned a functional purpose. 

Before investing in potentially expensive wellness technology, define the specific goals, challenges, and KPIs that are most important to your corporate wellness strategy. Then ask, how can technology help achieve these goals better, faster, or cheaper? This way, you’ll not only position yourself to stay focused on your strategy, but you’ll also be able to calculate ROI of your tech investment.

Think comprehensively

The most successful corporate wellness strategies support employees in every dimension of their lives. Employees are not productivity machines; they’re human. We all experience challenges both inside and out of work that can affect how we show up every day. Health and wellness technology can be effective tools to help employees overcome these challenges, but no single piece of tech can address all of the complexities of modern life. When thinking about how to use technology to support employee wellbeing, think holistically: Do you have the tools in place to help your team physically, mentally, and emotionally?

Find the Right Corporate Wellness Technology Partner

Carebridge EAP is built with the convenient, modern, and comprehensive technology organizations need to support their employees. Reach out today to learn how Carebridge can transform your corporate wellness strategy: Get a Quote